History of the Japanese Society for Aesthetics

Year Date Item

1949 October 1 The Japanese Society for Aesthetics is founded.

A prospectus listing advisors, committee members, secretaries and rules of the society is December distributed.

The society's journal Bigaku is announced. Membership fees: 200 yen for the first half of 1950 Mar. 1 the year, 200 yen for the second half of the year.

Mar. 20 Bigaku vol. 1, no. 1 is published by Houn-sha. (104 pages, 100 yen)

May 12 The Eastern Division holds its first division conference.

Jun. 25 The Western Division holds its first division conference.

Jul. 1 Bigaku vol. 1, no. 2 is published. (96 pages)

Nov. 1 Bigaku vol. 1, no. 3 ("Topics in Art Criticism" issue) is published by Sobi-sha. (96 pages)

Nov. 5 - Nov. 7 The society holds its first annual conference at Kyoto University.

Bigaku vol. 1, no. 4 ("Reports from the First Annual Conference" issue) is published. (96 1951 Feb. 1 pages)

May 15 Bigaku vol. 2, no. 1 ("Existential Aesthetics" issue) is published. (96 pages)

Bigaku vol. 2, no. 2 ("The Aesthetics of Music" issue) is published. (80 pages — the Oct. 1 80-page format is used in subsequent issues until 2007.)

The society holds its second annual conference at University of the Arts and the Nov. 9 - . From November 10, joint meetings are held with the Art Nov. 13 History Society.

1952 Feb. 1 Bigaku vol. 2, no. 3 ("Methods of Art History" issue) is published.

May 1 Bigaku vol. 2, no. 4 is published. Membership fees are changed to 500 yen.

July 15 Bigaku vol. 3, no. 1 ("Trends in Modern Art" issue) is published.

Bigaku vol. 3, no. 2 ("Space and Time in Art" issue) is published by Bijutsu Shuppan-sha.

Since vol. 28, no. 2 in 1967, Bigaku is edited and published by the Japanese Society for Oct. 1 Aesthetics and distributed by Bijutsu Shuppan-sha. Bigaku begins to receive a grant from

Ministry of Education, Science and Culture.

Oct. 24 - The society holds its third annual conference at Kyoto University. There are more than Oct. 26 150 in attendance. Joint events are held with the Japan Art History Society.

Dec. 25 Bigaku vol. 3, no. 3 ("The Structure of Artistic Expression" issue) is published.

1953 Mar. 30 Bigaku vol. 3, no. 4 is published.

Bigaku vol. 4, no. 1 is published. Until 2007, the format and publishing schedule of the Jun. 30 journal are fundamentally unchanged.

The society holds its fourth annual conference at the University of Tokyo. Joint meetings Nov. 7 - Nov. 9 and lectures are held with the Japan Art History Society.

Oct. 29 - The society holds its fifth annual conference at Kyoto University. Joint events are held 1954 Oct. 31 with the Musicological Society of Japan and the Japan Art History Society.

Oct. 21 - The society holds its sixth annual conference at . Joint meetings are held 1955 Oct. 23 with the Musicological Society of Japan.

The Third International Congress of Aesthetics is held on San Giorgio Maggiore in Sept. 3 - 1956 Venice, Italy. Approximately 300 in attendance, three of whom are Japanese. In addition, Sept. 6 Toshio Takeuchi is dispatched by the Science Council of Japan.

The society holds its seventh annual conference at Doshisha University. Joint events are

Oct. 2 - Oct. 4 held with the Japan Art History Society and the Musicological Society of Japan. Society

membership this year is approximately 700.

Oct. 12 - The society holds its eighth annual conference at . There are 130 in 1957 Oct. 14 attendance. The section system is used for the first time.

Oct. 17 - The society holds its ninth annual conference at Kwansei Gakuin University. The first 1958 Oct. 19 symposium is held on the third day of the conference.

Oct. 9 - The society holds its tenth annual conference at the University of Tokyo. Joint meetings 1959 Oct. 11 are held with the Japan Art History Society.

1960 Feb. 13 Rudolf Arnheim lectures at the Eastern Division conference.

The Fourth International Congress of Aesthetics is held at the National Technical Sept. 1 - University of Athens in Greece. Tomonobu Imamichi is dispatched by the Science Council Sept. 6 of Japan.

Oct. 9 - The society holds its 11th annual conference at Kyoto City University of Arts. Joint

Oct. 11 presentations are held with the Japan Art History Society.

Susanne K. Langer lectures at the Eastern Division conference. Membership fees are 1961 Aug. 23 changed to 700 yen this year. Oct. 21 - The society holds its 12th annual conference at Tokyo University of the Arts and

Oct. 23 Yokohama National University.

Oct. 13 - 1962 The society holds its 13th annual conference at Doshisha University. Oct. 15

Oct. 12 - 1963 The society holds its 14th annual conference at Waseda University. Oct. 15

The Fifth International Congress of Aesthetics is held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 12 Aug. 24 - 1964 Japanese are in attendance. In addition, Toshio Takeuchi is dispatched by the Science Aug. 26 Council of Japan.

Oct. 16 - The society holds its 15th annual conference at Kwansei Gakuin University. Oct. 18

Oct. 16 - 1965 The society holds its 16th annual conference at Keio University. Oct. 18

Oct. 15 - 1966 The society holds its 17th annual conference at Kyoto University. Oct. 17

Oct. 14 - 1967 The society holds its 18th annual conference at Tokyo University of the Arts. Oct. 16

Aug. 15 - The Sixth International Congress of Aesthetics is held in Uppsala, Sweden. Tomonobu 1968 Aug. 20 Imamichi is dispatched by the Science Council of Japan.

Oct. 9 - The society holds its 19th annual conference at Doshisha University. Oct. 11

Oct. 17 - The society holds its 20th annual conference at Tokyo Bunka Kaikan and the National 1969 Oct. 19 Museum of Western Art. Membership fees are changed to 1,200 yen this year.

The society holds its 21st annual conference at Kyoto University. Revisions are made to Nov. 9 - 1970 society rules, including election regulations and bylaws, all of which take effect on April 1 Nov. 11 of the following year.

Committee members are elected by society members for the first time. Membership fees 1971 Sept. 27 are changed to 1,500 yen this year.

Oct. 9 - The society holds its 22nd annual conference at the University of Tokyo. Oct. 11

Aug. 28 - The Seventh International Congress of Aesthetics is held in Bucharest, Romania. Kiyoshi 1972 Sept. 2 Imai is dispatched by the Science Council of Japan. A special lecture by Mikel Dufrenne is presented with the University of Tokyo's Institute Oct. 3 of Aesthetics and the Eastern Division of the society.

Oct. 15 - The society holds its 23rd annual conference at Kyoto City University of Arts. At the end

Oct. 17 of September, society membership reaches 700.

Oct. 13 - 1973 The society holds its 24th annual conference at Waseda University. Oct. 15

The society holds its 25th annual conference at Kwansei Gakuin University. Committee 1974 Oct. 5 - Oct. 7 elections are held.

1975 Mar. 30 The 100th issue of Bigaku is published.

Oct. 10 - The society holds its 26th annual conference at Tohoku University. Membership fees are

Oct. 12 changed to 3,000 yen.

The Eighth International Congress of Aesthetics is held at Darmstadt University of Aug. 29 - 1976 Technology in West Germany. 11 Japanese are in attendance, including Masao Yamamoto, Sept. 3 who is dispatched by the Science Council of Japan.

Oct. 9 - The society holds its 27th annual conference at Doshisha University. There are 239 in

Oct. 11 attendance.

Oct. 14 - The society holds its 28th annual conference at Kanazawa College of Art. Helmet Kuhn 1977 Oct. 16 gives a special lecture. Committee elections are held.

1978 Mar. 31 An index of Bigaku issues 1-100 is published.

Oct. 13 - The society holds its 29th annual conference at Okayama University. Oct. 15

Oct. 19 - 1979 The society holds its 30th annual conference at Seijo University. Oct. 21

Aug. 25 - The Ninth International Congress of Aesthetics is held in Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia. Hideho 1980 Aug. 31 Nishida is dispatched by the Science Council of Japan.

Oct. 11 - The society holds its 31st annual conference at Osaka University. Committee elections are

Oct. 13 held. Editorial committees for Bigaku and the international edition Aesthetics are set up.

Bigaku, vol. 32, no. 1 becomes the first issue to contain the rules for contributions. 1981 Jun. 30 Membership fees are changed to 5,000 yen this year.

Oct. 11 - The society holds its 32nd annual conference at Keio University. There are 324 in

Oct. 13 attendance. The society holds its 33rd annual conference at Kyoto University. Wolfhart Henckmann

Oct. 16 - gives a special lecture. In the general meeting, Toshio Takeuchi, who had been the 1982 Oct. 18 representative since the society's foundation, resigns his post. Masao Yamamoto becomes

the acting representative. Takeuchi takes on the role of advisor.

Management of the society's accounts is transferred to the Business Center for Japanese 1983 Apr. 1 Academic Societies.

The society holds its 34th annual conference at the University of Tokyo. Mikel Dufrenne Oct. 22 - gives a special lecture. Committee elections are held, and Masao Yamamoto is elected Oct. 24 representative.

October The first issue of Aesthetics (International Edition) is published. (128 pages)

Aug. 14 - The Tenth International Congress of Aesthetics is held at the University of Montreal in 1984 Aug. 18 Canada. Kenjiro Yoshioka is dispatched by the Science Council of Japan.

Oct. 13 - The society holds its 35th annual conference at Kyushu University. Oct. 15

The society holds its 36th annual conference at Tohoku University. In this year's Science Oct. 12 - 1985 Council of Japan election, Masao Yamamoto is elected committee member. Japan Oct. 14 National Committee for Art Studies is formed.

The second issue of Aesthetics (International Edition) is published. (130 pages — until 1986 March issue 12 in 2006, Aesthetics is published in book form every other March.)

Oct. 11 - The society holds its 37th annual conference at Kyoto City University of Arts. Society

Oct. 13 membership is 1,075. Committee elections are held.

Japan National Committee for Art Studies hosts a symposium "The Present and Future of 1987 Jun. 29 Art Education in Japan."

Oct. 10 - The society holds its 38th annual conference at Tokyo University of the Arts. Oct. 12

Aug. 29 - The 11th International Congress of Aesthetics is held at Nottingham University in 1988 Sept. 2 England. Kenichi Sasaki is dispatched by the Science Council of Japan.

The society holds its 39th annual conference is held at Doshisha University's Tanabe Oct. 23 - Campus. Masao Yamamoto is re-elected as committee member in the 14th term of the Oct. 25 Science Council of Japan.

Japan National Committee for Art Studies hosts a symposium "Art and Patrons" at the 1989 Jun. 24 Osaka Prefectural Information Center. Oct. 20 - The society holds its 40th annual conference at Waseda University. Committee elections

Oct. 22 are held.

Japan National Committee for Art Studies hosts a symposium "New Media and the Arts" 1990 Jun. 18 in the Science Council of Japan Auditorium.

The society holds its 41st annual conference at Hiroshima University. Public symposia, Oct. 13 - "Modern Art and Society" and "Urban Scenery and the Aesthetics of Nature," are held Oct. 15 before and after the conference. Membership fees are changed to 6,000 yen this year.

Japan National Committee for Philosophy hosts a symposium "Man and Advanced Nov. 9 Biosciences" in the Science Council of Japan Auditorium.

Oct. 18 - The society holds its 42nd annual conference at Seijo University. Sections are divided by 1991 Oct. 20 field. Society membership is 1,283.

Japan National Committee for Art Studies hosts a symposium "Art and Traditional 1992 Jun. 15 Techniques" in the Science Council of Japan Auditorium.

Sept. 1 - The 12th International Congress of Aesthetics is held in Madrid, Spain. Hiroe Nitta is

Sept. 5 dispatched by the Science Council of Japan. 12 Japanese are in attendance.

The society holds its 43rd annual conference at Osaka University. Public pre-symposium Oct. 16 - "Art Criticism Today" is held. Presentations are organized by theme. Committee elections Oct. 18 are held.

Japan National Committee for Philosophy hosts a symposium "Emptiness (Kuu)" in the Oct. 27 Science Council of Japan Auditorium.

Japan National Committee for Art Studies hosts a symposium "Audio-visual Culture and 1993 Jun. 14 the Postmodern" at the Osaka Prefectural Information Center.

The society holds its 44th annual conference at Keio University. Bohdan Dziemidok gives

Oct. 9 - a special lecture. "Nationwide Student Forum" is held. In the general meeting, revisions

Oct. 11 are made to society rules and election regulations. These revisions take effect on April 1

of the following year.

Japan National Committee for Philosophy hosts a symposium "Eschatological Thinking" Oct. 26 in the Science Council of Japan Auditorium.

Hiroe Nitta becomes president, Keiji Asanuma becomes Eastern Division representative 1994 Apr. 1 and Tsunemichi Kanbayashi becomes Western Division representative.

Japan National Committee for Art Studies hosts a symposium "Artistic Expression and Gender" June 11 at Seijo University. Oct. 8 - The society holds its 45th annual conference at Kwansei Gakuin University. "Nationwide

Oct. 11 Student Forum" is held.

Japan National Committee for Philosophy hosts a symposium "Nature" in the Science Dec. 6 Council of Japan Auditorium.

Japan National Committee for Art Studies hosts a symposium "Beyond Genre: Exchanges 1995 Jun. 24 Between Art Forms."

The Eastern Division and the University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Humanities and June 28 Sociology present a special lecture by Gianni Vattimo at the University of Tokyo.

Aug. 1 - The 13th International Congress of Aesthetics is held in Lahti, Finland. Keiji Asanuma is

Aug. 5 dispatched by the Science Council of Japan.

The society holds its 46th annual conference at the University of Tokyo. George Dickie

Oct. 20 - gives a special lecture. Seminar-style workshops are held. Committee elections are held.

Oct. 22 Keiji Asanuma is elected president, Isao Toshimitsu is elected Eastern Division

representative and Tsunemichi Kanbayashi is elected Western Division representative.

The Eastern Division and Tohoku University's Aesthetics and Western Art History Nov. 12 Program present an international symposium "The Aesthetics of Japanese Art."

Japan National Committee for Philosophy hosts a symposium "Transience (Mujou)" in the Nov. 28 Science Council of Japan Auditorium.

For the first time in the society's history, its headquarters are relocated. Headquarters are

moved from the University of Tokyo's Aesthetics Institute to Seijo University's Faculty of 1996 Apr. 1 Arts and Literature. The Western Division office is moved from Kyoto University's

Institute of Aesthetics and History of Arts to Osaka University's Institute of Aesthetics.

Japan National Committee for Art Studies hosts a symposium "Direction in Various Art Jun. 15 Forms."

Oct. 11 - The society holds its 47th annual conference at Kansai University. Wolfgang Welsch gives

Oct. 13 a special lecture.

The Eastern Division and Tokyo University of the Arts' Institute of Aesthetics present a Oct. 15 special lecture by Gernot Böhme.

The Eastern Division and the University of Tokyo's Institute of Aesthetics present a Oct. 17 special lecture by Wolfgang Welsch.

Japan National Committee for Philosophy hosts a symposium "Mind (Kokoro)" in the Dec. 10 Science Council of Japan Auditorium. The Western Division and Kyoto University's Institute of Aesthetics and Art History 1997 Apr. 12 present a special lecture by Joseph Margolis.

The Eastern Division and the University of Tokyo's Institute of Aesthetics present a Apr. 16 special lecture by Joseph Margolis.

The Eastern Division and the Mita Philosophy Society present a special lecture by Joseph Apr. 21 Margolis.

Jun. 14 Japan National Committee for Art Studies hosts a symposium "Modern Japan in the Arts."

Keiji Asanuma is elected as committee member in the 17th term of the Science Council of September Japan.

The Society holds its 48th annual conference at Tokyo University of the Arts. Zhou Lai

Oct. 10 - Xiang gives a private lecture. "ART-LINK Ueno-Yanaka" opening symposium and the

Oct. 12 "Environmental Aesthetics: Beyond the Polarity of the Artificial and the Natural"

symposium are held.

The Eastern Division and Tohoku University's Aesthetics and Western Art History

Nov. 22 Program present a symposium "Andre Malraux's Philosophy of Art" held at Tohoku

University.

Japan National Committee for Philosophy hosts a symposium "Life (Inochi)" in the Dec. 9 Science Council of Japan Auditorium.

The preparatory committee for the 15th International Congress of Aesthetics in Makuhari, Dec. 25 Tokyo is formed and headed by Michio Muto.

Japan National Committee for Art Studies hosts a symposium "Art and the Environment" 1998 Jun. 13 at Tokyo University of the Arts. Membership fees are changed to 7,000 yen.

Sept. 1 - The 14th International Congress of Aesthetics is held in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Tsunemichi

Sept. 5 Kanbayashi is dispatched by the Science Council of Japan.

The Eastern Division and Tokyo University of the Arts' Institute of Aesthetics present a Sept. 15 special lecture by Gernot Böhme.

The society holds its 49th annual conference at Kyoto University. Two symposia are held:

"Japanese Aesthetics" and "The Sensibility of Illness." Committee elections are held.

Oct. 10 - Tsunemichi Kanbayashi is elected president, Kenichi Sasaki is elected Eastern Division

Oct. 12 representative and Kenichi Iwaki is elected Western Divsion representative. The 15th

International Congress of Aesthetics Organizational Committee is formed and headed by

Kenichi Sasaki. Society headquarters are moved to Osaka University's Institute of Aesthetics in the School

of Letters. The Eastern Division office is moved to the University of Tokyo's Institute of December Aesthetics. The Western Division office is moved to Kyoto University's Institute of

Aesthetics and Art History.

Japan National Committee for Philosophy hosts a symposium "Mankind in Periods of Dec. 8 Change" in the Science Council of Japan Auditorium.

Japan National Committee for Art Studies and the Hyogo Arts and Culture Association 1999 Jun. 19 present a symposium "Art and Society" at the Hyogo Prefecture Citizens' Hall.

The society holds its 50th annual conference at Kanazawa College of Art. Augustin Oct. 1 - Berque gives a special lecture. Memorial symposium marking the 50th year of the society Oct. 3 is held. Craftwork symposium is held. Society membership is 1,569.

Japan National Committee for Philosophy hosts a symposium "Man and Evil" in the Dec. 14 Science Council of Japan Auditorium.

The above was provided by Isao Toshimitsu and printed in Bigaku vol. 50, no. 4 (Spring 2000), pp. 70-74.

The following is provided by Esuke Tsugami.

2000 Jun. 3 Japan National Committee for Art Studies hosts a symposium "The Boundaries of 20th Cenutry

Art" at .

Oct. 7 - Oct. 9 The society holds its 51st annual conference at Kyoto City University of Arts. Aside from

presentations, a symposium is held. 316 in attendance.

Dec. 12 Japan National Committee for Philosophy hosts a symposium "Self and Other" in the Science

Council of Japan Auditorium.

2001 April Membership fees are changed to 8,000 yen.

Jun. 23 Japan National Committee for Art Studies hosts a symposium "Beyond Coexistence: A View of

New Millenium Art" at Ritsumeikan University's Kinugasa Campus.

Sept. 1 - Sept. 6 The 15th International Congress of Aesthetics is hosted by the Japanese Society for Aesthetics and

the Science Council of Japan at Kanda University of International Studies in Makuhari, Tokyo.

The theme of the event is "Aesthetics in the 21st Century." Kenichi Sasaki heads the organization

committee. 430 in attendance. 336 papers are presented.

Oct. 6 - Oct. 8 The society holds the 52nd annual conference at Waseda University. Aside from presentations, a

special report on the 15th International Congress of Aesthetics and a symposium are held. 369 in

attendance. Committee elections are held. Kenichi Sasaki is elected president, Kiyokazu

Nishimura is elected Eastern Division representative and Kenichi Iwaki is elected Western Division representative. Society headquarters is moved to the University of Tokyo's Institute of

Aesthetics.

Dec. 11 Japan National Committee for Philosophy hosts a symposium "The Modern as Crisis" in the

Science Council of Japan Auditorium.

2002 Jun. 22 Japan National Committee for Art Studies hosts a symposium "Who Will Save Art? On the Basic

Law for Promoting Arts and Culture" at Jissen Women's University.

Oct. 12 - Oct. 14 The society holds the 53rd annual conference at Hiroshima University. Aside from presentations,

a workshop, a poster session, a symposium, a memorial lecture by Richard Shusterman and an

excursion are held. 380 in attendance. In the general meeting, new society rules are admitted. A

committee comprised of all committee members of both the Eastern and Western Divisions

becomes the society's parent organization. Also, the position of vice president is instituted. These

new rules take effect on April 1, 2004.

Dec. 10 Japan National Committee for Philosophy hosts a symposium "Thinking About Life" in the

Science Council of Japan Auditorium.

2003 Mar. 1 Japan National Committee for Art Studies and the University of Tokyo’s Institute of Aesthetics

present a special lecture by Ales Erjavec.

May 31 The society and Keio University present a special lecture by Jonathan Kramer.

Jun. 28 - Jun. 29 Japan National Committee for Art Studies hosts a symposium "Representation and Arts 2003:

Asia's Songs and Dances" at Ritsumeikan University.

Aug. 2 - Aug. 3 Special Eastern Division conference held at Hokkaido University.

Oct. 11 - Oct. 13 The society holds its 54th annual conference at Seijo University. Aside from presentations, a

poster session, a forum for young scholars and a book review session are held. 520 in attendance.

Society membership is 1,643.

Dec. 9 Japan National Committee for Philosophy hosts a symposium "Man and Desire" in the Science

Council of Japan Auditorium.

2004 March The 11th issue of Aesthetics (International Edition), titled "Looking at Japanese Culture," is

published. The issue features some presentations on Japanese art and culture given at the 15th

International Congress of Aesthetics.

Apr. 1 New election regulations, election bylaws and committee operation rules are implemented.

Jun. 19 Japan National Committee for Art Studies hosts a symposium "(Ir-)responsibility of Art" at Nihon

University's College of Art.

Jul. 18 - Jul. 23 The 16th International Congress of Aesthetics is held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Kiyokazu Nishimura is dispatched by the Science Council of Japan. 253 in attendance. 23 Japanese in

attendance.

July The Business Center for Japanese Academic Societies is bankrupted. (As a result, the society

loses 7,750,801 yen. To fill the deficit, the society borrows 5 million yen from its members and

others.)

Oct. 9 - Oct. 11 The society holds its 55th annual conference at the Kyoto Institute of Technology. Aside from

presentations, a forum for young scholars is held. 379 in attendance. Committee elections are

held. Kenichi Iwaki is elected president, Kiyokazu Nishimura is elected vice-president and

Eastern Division representative and Motoaki Shinohara is elected vice-president and Western

Division representative. Society headquarters are moved to Kyoto University’s Institute of

Aesthetics and Art History.

2005 Apr. 4 Japan National Committee for Philosophy hosts a symposium "The Possibility of Knowledge in

the Humanities" in the Science Council of Japan Auditorium.

Jun. 25 Japan National Committee for Art Studies hosts a symposium "The Power of Art: On the

Possibility of Cultural Transfiguration" at Kyoto University.

Oct. 8 - Oct. 10 The society holds its 56th annual conference at Keio University. Aside from presentations, a

symposium, a forum for young scholars and an excursion are held. 478 in attendance. From

October, society accounts are managed by the Academic Society Assistance Center, which acts as

the office of the society.

This year, 30 papers are submitted to Bigaku, 19 of which are selected.

2006 From this year, Bigaku is refereed by multiple outside judges in addition to the editorial

committee. Also, summaries of the Eastern Division and Western Division conference s are

published in Bigaku, in addition to annual conference summaries.

Jun. 17 The Japanese Association for Art Studies holds its first public symposium "The Transformation of

Art / The Development of Art Studies" at Nihon University. With the elimination of Japan

National Committee for Art Studies, the Japanese Association for Art Studies is formed as a

volunteer group. Kenichi Sasaki is named president of the association. Society member Fujio

Maeda is named delegate.

Oct. 7 - Oct. 9 The society holds its 57th annual conference at Osaka University on the theme “Globalization of

Art and Climate.” 366 in attendance. Society membership is 1,605.

2007 June The Japanese Association for Art Studies holds its second public symposium "Who Owns Art?

Considering the Problem of Copyrights from the Perspective of Art Studies" at the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto.

Jul. 9 - Jul. 13 The 17th International Congress of Aesthetics is held in Ankara, Turkey. Tanehisa Otabe is

dispatched by the Science Council of Japan. 450 in attendance.

Aug. 1 - Aug. 31 A questionnaire concerning the format of Bigaku is sent out to members.

Oct. 6 - Oct. 8 The society holds its 58th annual conference at Hokkaido University. The theme of the conference

is "Aesthetics and Cultural Diversity." Aside from presentations, seminars, a symposium, a special

lecture by Raffaele Milani and an excursion are held. 323 in attendance. Committee elections are

held. Kiyokazu Nishimura is elected president, Esuke Tsugami is elected vice-president and

Eastern Division representative, Hiroshi Okabayashi is elected vice-president and Western

Division representative. Society headquarters is moved to the University of Tokyo's Institute of

Aesthetics. The Eastern Division office is moved to Seijo University's Faculty of Arts and

Literature. The Western Division office is moved to Doshisha University's Institute of Aesthetics

and Art Theory.

From vol. 58, no. 3 (issue 231), Bigaku becomes semiannual.

Dec. 8 The Science Council of Japan and the Japanese Federation of Philosophical Societies present a

public symposium "The Crisis of Humanities and Basic Studies" at . With the

elimination of Japan National Committee for Philosophy, the Japan Federation of Philosophical

Societies is formed as a volunteer group. From the society, Kiyokazu Nishimura is named

delegate.

2008 Jun. 14 The Japanese Association for Art Studies holds its third public symposium "Changes in Japanese

Art, 1965-1975" at Gakushuin Women's College.

Oct. 11 - Oct. 13 The society holds its 59th annual conference at Doshisha University. Aside from presentations, a

forum for young scholars and a symposium are held. 386 in attendance.

Nov. 29 The Science Council of Japan and the Japanese Federation of Philosophical Societies present a

public symposium "Life and Death in Modern Society" in the Science Council of Japan

Auditorium.

This year, the repayment of money borrowed from members when the Business Center for

Japanese Academic Societies was bankrupted is completed.

2009 April Aesthetics (International Edition) becomes an on-line journal. 23 articles are included in the 13th

issue, which was made available through the society website.

Jun. 13 The Japanese Association for Art Studies holds its fourth public symposium "Art and

Interactivity" with the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, where the event is held. Oct. 10 - Oct. 12 The society holds its 60th annual conference at the University of Tokyo. Aside from presentations,

a forum for young scholars, panel projects, a special lecture by Allen Carlson are held. 489 in

attendance, including 139 non-members.

Nov. 28 The Science Council of Japan and the Japanese Federation of Philosophical Societies present a

public symposium "Diversity and Coexistence in Asian Cultures: From the Perspectives of

Religion and Thought."

2010 The society holds its 61st annual conference at Kwansei Gakuin University. (Tentative)

The section leading up to 1999 was provided by Iwao Toshimitsu and printed as "Half a Century of the Japanese Society of Aesthetics" in Bigaku vol.

50, no. 4 (Spring 2000), pp. 70-74. The section from 2000 to 2009 was provided by Esuke Tsugami.